10 Best British Gangster Movies

The 10 best British gangster movies truthfully portray the brutality of the crime world and the lifestyle of its members. Moreover, many of the best British gangster movies include the traditional cultural dry humor. Below is a list of the 10 best British gangster movies.

"Gangster #1." Starrin Paul Betttany, this gangster movie tells the tale of a ruthless hit-man desperate to fill his boss’ shoes. Huge amounts of violence, blood and general gore make this movie not only a psychological but a physical thriller. Bettany shines as a creepy, obsessed man. "Gangster #1" is one great British gangster movie.

"Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels." As four gangsters plot how to repay a massive debt, two guns go missing. Those guns just might be the deciding factor of whether the men live. Hilarious, intense and imaginative, this British gangster movie shows the criminal side of London’s streets. Undoubtedly, this movie is one of the best British gangster movies.

"Snatch." One man’s job is to fix a boxing match, while another’s is to track down an 87-carat diamond. The men’s two gangs collide when the diamond and boxing match become intertwined. Another example of Ritchie’s ability to think outsid the box, Snatch is a great gangster movie.

"Long Good Friday." Occurring over Easter weekend, this film follows a gangster as he takes down anyone who stands in the way of his plan to revive a dockyard. Heralded as the first gangster movie to rival foreign ones, "Long Good Friday" gives a violently realistic view of sometimes-underground London crime world.

"Get Carter." As he travels to discover the truth about his brother’s death, London gangster Carter, Michael Caine, begins to trail his brother’s last steps. What he finds on his way to Newcastle is a path of deceit, lies and deadly violence. Considered one of Cain’s best roles, this movie is not short on random acts of – stunning – gangster violence.

"Brighton Rock." Based on a book of the same name, this movie is one of the first British gangster movies. As if that weren’t enough, it is also one a violent movie, which was unusual when made. The film follows a seventeen year old boy as he creates himself an empire of crime and then shows the depths he will go to in order to protect that empire. Moving and unique, "Brighton Rock" is a great gangster movie.

"Love, Honor and Obey." When the head of London’s most powerful gang takes on a new member, he doesn’t expect it to lead him to a gang-war. Depicting the struggle between crime and violence, "Love, Honor and Obey" tells the story of the problems of mixing business and family. The film is often identified as the British version of "Goodfellas."

"Sexy Beast." The lurid members of a London gang have left the lifestyle for good. Now, they enjoy the good things in life down in sunny Spain. But when hit-man Gal has no choice but to take one last job, things begin to go wrong. Can anyone ever leave the world for good? The movie’s humor and intriguing plot make it one of Britain’s best gangster movies.

"RocknRolla." Just what, exactly, does that painting look like? And who is stealing from whom? With millions of pounds up for grabs, does any of that matter? Ritchie’s brilliant gangster movie contains it all: traditional gang leaders, scheming women, a strung-out singer and, of course, that dry British humor.

"The Krays." The Krays ruled the 1960’s London crime world. This film follows the twins as they become the top gangsters in the city, showing how they dole out justice to anyone attempting to stand in their way.